It is possible but also unlikely in the near future. The Roku programming system does not allow for as much freedom as the Android system so implementing a complex interface is difficult.

The main complaint about the interface on Android devices is that it is quite buggy and not particularly user friendly.

The current main Roku developer is probably the best developer Roku has as far as making things work correctly, but he is very much under Roku’s thumb. If he is told, or has been told, by Roku to implement an Android style interface and such proves to be possible then if it is possible to make it user friendly he will make it so.

I do not believe it is possible but I have been surprised before by what has been done in the Roku so I think that, if Roku so directs, we will see a new and improved interface on the Roku in the future but not in the immediate future.
Before the end of Summer? Unlikely.
Before the end of Autumn? Doubtful.
Before the end of the year? Possible.
Before the end of next year’s first quarter? Likely.
Before the end of next year? Very probable.

Plex NEVER pre-announces anything so the above is just a guess by a user that has a little insight into the Roku system and has been using Roku’s pretty much since the beginning. I had an early Roku (The N1000) back when it was called “The Netflix player.” And I have had at least one of the Roku models from every generation since. I have also participated in many many beta programs and I have seen the process develop over time. So my guess is a bit informed but subject to so many variables as to make it just a guess.

Personally the one thing I would like to see is a move away from the horizontal scrolling interface and the ability to customize the things like hubs. I prefer an uncluttered interface that only shows the parts I need and use.

The Fire TV UI was once exactly like the current Roku UI. It was hated from Day One, but over time most of us realized our complaining about it wasn’t going anywhere, so we decided to live with it.

Here are the details:

Part One:
Plex was dedicated to ‘UI Parity’ across devices. They came up with this plan while sitting around the big oak table and were confident they could make it happen. The UI worked on a Roku (still does) - The UI never worked on AFTV - and Plex was unable to make it work.

Part Two:
Plex basically gave up trying to make The Standard Style (Roku Style) Parity App work on an AFTV and just started porting over whatever disaster they were able to come up with for other Android Devices. So much for that App Parity thing. Abandoned.

They’re STILL unable to make whatever standard app they’ve decided on for Android work on an AFTV - or any other Android device, apparently. Just read the Android Forum if you have any questions - that pretty much tells you everything you need to know about Plex and Android:https://forums.plex.tv/categories/android-tvs

Plex put all their eggs in the Exo-Player 2 Basket - then threw the Basket over the cliff. Exo-Player 2, as it turns out, isn’t the miracle cure for everything Android Plex hoped it would be (one would have thought in house testing would have revealed this, but… no)

In the end, the problem wasn’t the UI, it was Plex, particularly, the ability of Plex to design ANY working app for Android. Can’t be done, or at least, hasn’t happened yet. Now Plex is dedicated to designing ONE Android App that works across ALL Androids. Plex apparently doesn’t know what Plex Power Users (the most ignored user group) already know - THAT AIN’T GONNA WORK (if history is any indication of future events)!

Still, Plex soldiers on bravely, convinced repeating the same mistakes over and over will produce different results…

Summary:

We got used to The Roku Style App. We’re still waiting for those promised ‘Customizations’, but a FUGLY app that works, still has something going for it… it does work, at least. At this point AFTV Users would be happy with FUGLY - if it worked. It doesn’t.

If this current Android Eye Sore works on whatever Android you’re using it on - consider yourself lucky, but don’t wish that crap app design on us Roku Users… we have a working app… we don’t need Plex to ‘migrate’ it’s Android nightmare over to Roku…

I have an AFTV Plex App I can’t use for Plex.
I don’t need a Roku Plex App I can’t use for Plex.
We’ll take the devil we know, thanks.

“tire fire”
excellent description of an interface that many consider criminal…

A less than honorable ‘tire recycler’ many years ago set 40 million+ used tires on fire in an effort to ‘lower his stock-pile’… it was ugly, he went to prison, got out (eventually) and AFAIK is still burning some 44 years later…

I find it funny how long ago we were promised a roku app with customizations just like the android app just got. Just build the apps with the customizations in the first place and this a lot of grief could have been avoided.

@“hackztor@gmail.com” said:
I find it funny how long ago we were promised a roku app with customizations just like the android app just got. Just build the apps with the customizations in the first place and this a lot of grief could have been avoided.

I have read nothing good about the Android app. And when I have tried to use it on the Fire TV or the Shield TV I have seen nothing good.

I also have found no real customization ability on either platform I use.

I would like to see Roku add the ability to customize a LOT of the interface but if that comes with the horrible clumsy interface I have encountered on Android platforms then it simply is not worth it.

I prefer the Roku app, but I haven’t had any problems with the AFTV app on the 2nd gen stick or the 4K pendant, as for the monstrosity that is now the iOS app and the preview on the WebOS 3 app, my opinions agree with the angry masses. If I could just get the remote to stay paired on my Roku4K stick, I might be a happy camper.

@leo_1963 said:
As I have said in the past Roku needs some love too. It’s begging for a UI update.

The latest updates they have released on every platform have been unmitigated disasters. I don’t want the Roku to look like the abomination that is the latest iteration of PMP or the Android app. If you aren’t going to implement something usable, leave the app as is. It’s one of the few devices left that works as is without rolling back to an older version. Given that it’s not possible to roll back on Roku, there is no reason to destroy a perfectly functioning client with a GUI that would have gotten multiple people fired at a company that gave a damn about their customers. The most loving thing Plex could do is keep these idiots far away from the Roku.

I recently migrated to Roku after getting a TCL Series 6 TV (which is every bit the value the hype around them claims).

Plex works so well on it I replaced my Shield on my Sony TV with a new Ultra. The Sony TV itself runs Android TV (terribly) so that was ironic.

Plex works great on the new Ultra too, for me. I play high bitrate HEVC HDR remux’s through it and they work like a champ. The only consideration I had to take in to account was subtitles, meaning SRT, so HDR wouldn’t transcode (btw this is something still broken on Plex Android TV). The Subzero channel for Plex took care of that and more besides. Aside from that, framerate and colorspace changes when needed and HDR/SDR “just work” and look great. I was pretty surprised because the last Roku I had was the model 3 and I pretty much hated it but this new Roku OS 8 is pretty great and the Plex app is by far the best I have used on any platform. I also really like the way the Plex app itself is laid out - looks good, simple, easy to get around with a simple remote.

Don’t fix what ain’t broke! Is the message here.

Only think I dislike about the new Roku are the home screen ads but a Pi-hole install took care of those. Main screen may be a little plain but it’s also simple to use and I don’t have to explain to my guests, etc. how to use it. Same with Plex on the Roku. Again, it works well. Please don’t futz with it